Have you ever thought about the future of ecommerce? If yes, it means you’re already future-proofing your business. If not, don’t worry ‘coz we'll help you do that with today’s news menu:
- Avoid losing your life savings to FBA 💡
- Get 3M+ views on TikTok for your Amazon products 📱
- Why Amazon and other major marketplaces might soon face their end 🔚
- TikTok’s futuristic move of making all videos shoppable 🛒
BLACK MARKET
Losing your life savings in a business is a nightmare no one ever wants to experience. Unfortunately, one seller had to endure this, sharing some frustrating experiences on Seller Central.
Quick background:
- OP sells 3-in-1 magnetic wireless chargers for iPhones, smart watches, and AirPods.
- They invested over $27,000 and did all the recommended steps, like registering the brand, using top-notch keywords and product images, and including A+ content.
- But sales aren’t coming in, even after they spent on PPC advertising.
- According to OP, they can sell one product every 10 days, which is disheartening as his most expensive product is only $39. 💸
What went wrong?
Intense competition makes it hard to stand out in the Amazon marketplace. Older sellers also warned OP that the product may be a hard sell because other brands with the same product have thousands of reviews while theirs has fewer than 30.
If you think you might face the same problem, here are some things you can do:
- Conduct thorough product research. Competing in an over-saturated niche is hard, especially if you’re a newbie. Before diving in, research the market to find products with less competition and higher demand.
- Build your social media presence to increase brand awareness. Connecting with customers outside Amazon can boost your brand's visibility and trust.
🗝️ Success on Amazon requires patience and strategic planning. By learning from experiences and implementing these tips, you can increase your chances of building a successful business without risking your life savings.
TOGETHER WITH INSENSE
Here’s how to get 3M+ views on TikTok for your Amazon products
Let’s look at how Thrasio achieved this for 25 of its products on the platform.
- To drive external traffic to their Amazon listings, Thrasio partnered with 100+ TikTok creators to source high-performing UGC.
- To optimize their collabs with creators, Thrasio uses Insense—an all-in-one platform for UGC and influencer marketing, trusted by 1,500+ brands and Amazon sellers like Rankster, 5 Stars United, and Upper Echelon Products.
Insense streamlines the process to let you:
- Download shipping details in bulk: With one click, you can download the shipping details of your chosen creators to easily send them your products.
- Filter creators with Amazon Storefronts: You can use the filters in the campaign brief to receive applications only from creators and micro-influencers with an Amazon Storefront.
- Get UGC in 10 days: Receive high-performing UGC for organic + paid social
- Simplify the admin work: You’ll get access to automated influencer agreements, payments, and digital content usage rights
- Get a money-back guarantee if an influencer ghosts you
- Repeat long-term collabs: Build strong and lasting relationships with top-notch influencers and UGC creators!
🤙 What are you waiting for? Book a free personalized strategy call today and get $200 for your first campaign until February 23!
BITES OF THE WEEK
- In Denial: Shein denies the claim that they’re Amazon’s clone.
- SIPP ICYDK: Here’s everything you need to know about SIPP this year.
- India’s Choice: Which ecommerce platform won over the Indian market?
- Temu in Europe: Come March 15, U.S. and European sellers can sell on Temu.
ECOMMERCE NEWS
Amazon and other major marketplaces may soon face their end—here’s why
Ecommerce has been riding the wave of groundbreaking innovations for a good while now—and it won’t slow down anytime soon. But have you ever wondered if any of the major industry players will fail to adapt?
Interestingly, Vulcan Post seems to imply that Amazon and other prominent online marketplaces might soon cease due to the faster-than-ever changes. Here’s why:
🪽 Fleeting success
Described as "hot garbage," marketplaces like Amazon, Temu, and regional platforms like Shopee and Lazada are facing scrutiny.
Why?
- Despite offering an extensive variety of products at steal prices and global shipping, the quality of the products is a hit or miss. Experts say this is mainly because most of the platforms' sellers hail from China.
- The platforms, especially Amazon, struggle with review hijacking, spam, and counterfeits.
- Customer support is also as shaky as it gets. 🚩
- Most of these marketplaces aren't focused on retail since it's not very lucrative. They use their platform to upsell services like AWS and Prime Video, steering customers to more profitable ventures.
In summary: These platforms might be the hottest thing right now, but the customer experience they dish out is pure garbage. Sooner or later, shoppers will catch on that the shopping adventure they're getting is way below par.
Will you bid goodbye too?
In the pursuit of a trustworthy and curated ecommerce experience, customers may turn away from the retail giants.
But don’t panic! If they fall short of delivering the customer experience people crave, just make sure your business steps up. Your customers deserve the best, and you can be the one to provide it. 🫵
SOCIAL PULSE
TikTok makes all videos shoppable
Just a few months after its U.S. launch, TikTok Shop already quickly positioned itself as a technology-forward platform, launching feature after feature. Just recently, it decided to leverage AI to make all videos shoppable!
♟️ TikTok’s bold move…
According to an article by PYMNTS, the AI-powered feature can automatically identify products in a video to help users find similar items on TikTok Shop. This feature was previously exclusive to approved influencers and brands but is now in open testing.
The feature comes after last year’s controversy of counterfeit and cheap knockoffs and too many ads flooding user feeds. This update looks like TikTok’s attempt at marketing without the hard in-your-face sell.
⛏️ … is a work in progress.
Such a new advancement looks great on paper, as more people use social media to search. But the feature still has a big room for improvement. For instance, some users said that recommended items do not always match the actual objects in the video.
Should Amazon do the same?
ICYDK, Amazon also has shoppable videos that let reviewers and brands upload content that can redirect audiences to product listings. But the two don’t really compare—Amazon is a destination site for search-based commerce, and TikTok is for interest-based commerce.
Still, it could be worth adding both features to your business strategy this year. By posting your content on both platforms, you can target intent-based and interest-based audiences and direct them to your store. 👌
